After chess high, its exam time for Divya, Raunak

By Paritosh Pramanik
April 10, 2019

AFTER scratching their heads with rooks, bishops, knights and pawns, city’s chess prodigies will now be turning hundreds of pages from their curriculum when they return to city and appear for their Class VII exams.
City’s ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ chess wizards International Master Raunak Sadhwani and Woman International Master Divya Deshmukh, both students of Std VII, have won accolades in last couple of months when they participated in Sharjah and Dubai International chess competitions.
With the tournaments clashing with their examinations, both were given exemption by their schools to appear for the same at later dates.
With Dubai Open concluding on Tuesday where they gave commendable performances apart from winning important rating points, Divya, a student of Bhavan’s Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines branch, and Raunak, a student of Centre Point School, Katol Road, will keep the chess boards aside and concentrate on their exams.
Both are equally talented and sharp in their studies and would have no difficulties while switching from board to books preparing for their final exams.
The best part is the support both the chess genius get from their respective schools.
Youngest Shiv Chhatrapati award winner Divya has been carrying an extra baggage of her study material while playing tournaments. She has made it a point to balance studies and sports equally. Her school has permitted her to appear for final exams once she returns from Dubai.
“Divya will appear for her exams once we are back. School Principal Anju Bhutani is very supportive and has agreed to take her exams after the tournament. From tomorrow it’s exam time for her,” said Divya’s mother Dr Namrata Deshmukh while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ from Dubai.
“We are carrying books and she studies daily till she finishes the decided chapter. Sometimes if chess preparation is more she does not get time to study,” added Dr Namrata.
It’s been a long tour for Divya since she left the Indian shores for Moscow meet.
“We were in Moscow, Vietnam before coming to UAE. In February, we were in Moscow and then moved to Ho Chi Minh for Vietnam Open. From there we came to UAE for these meets,” said Divya’s mother.
In Moscow Divya got Second WGM norm. She missed the IM norm by a whisker but managed to raise her ELO Rating. At Vietnam, Divya gave a decent performance. She again improved her ELO by around 59 points.
The Sharjah meet was a big learning experience for Divya. And at Dubai, she is playing with altogether different rating and is learning to adjust with that 
rating.
“Playing with this rating is different as she has to fight back strongly. She is learning and also playing with maximum power, fighting back,” said Divya’s mother.
Similarly, Raunak, too, has performed well in these two tournaments and will be appearing for his exams immediately after returning to India.
“School plays a very important role in Raunak’s journey. They are very supportive and co-operative,” said Raunak’s mother Hina.
Unlike Divya, Raunak does not carry any school books. He wants to concentrate only on chess at the moment. But he has the ability to grasp quickly and thus believes that he will be ready for his examinations.
“During tournaments studying is not possible for him (Raunak). He is focused on his game.
“Actually at this level balancing both is very difficult.
“To some extent studies get affected. Once Raunak becomes Grandmaster he will take a break from chess and focus on his studies,” said Hina.
Hina credited Raunak’s school for their support. “School is very supportive, Principal Shilpi Ganguly encourages him to move ahead in chess and bring glory for everyone. As for his grasping power, he learns very fast. Normally, chess players grasp things very fast.
“At this level he is very close to becoming a Grandmaster. So we are focusing on that and keeping studies aside for time being. It’s a brain game, so distractions are not good during tournaments.
“Once his GM title is achieved, he will keep chess aside for sometime. He needs just two GM norms and a rating of 25 more points to become a Grand Master,” said Hina, who is with Raunak in Dubai.
Mrudul Dehankar, who appeared for her Std IX exams and flew for tournaments just a couple of days later, did not have a great tournament. But she too is a bright future of the city.
“This time Mrudul could not concentrate on chess as she had her Std IX exam. She got just two days to prepare for these meets,” said Mrudul’s father Vilas.
He also thanked Mrudul’s school Bhavan’s Trimurti Nagar branch for supporting her.
“They are very supportive. Principal Parvati Iyer has supported Mrudul which helped her achieve this success,” said Vilas.
n 

city's niyaz for India hockey camp

By Paritosh Pramanik

FINALLY, his hard work and perseverance has paid off, though partially. Niyaz Rahim, an excellent hockey player of city, has been selected in the 60-member squad which will be part of the Senior Men’s National Hockey Camp to be conducted by Hockey India.
The 12-day camp is going to be held at SAI Centre, Bengaluru from April 8 to 20.
The 60 campers will be pruned to 33 core probables who will continue with the camp which will be held from April 21 to May 5 after which Indian team for World Hockey Series will be picked.
This is for the first time in several decades that a player from Nagpur has been included in the national camp.
Niyaz, an enterprising midfielder as well as a quick forward has been included after his consistent performance in the national championships.
Niyaz is presently working with the South Central Railways as a TTI at Secundrabad.
Hailing from a hockey playing family, Niyaz, son of former national-level player Mumtaz-ur Rahim, fondly called as ‘Rabbani chacha’ in hockey circle, learned the tricks of trade playing with his school Tidke Vidyalaya. At the same time he joined Bright Club and then Police Boys before settling with Dhyanchand Sports Academy, one of the best clubs of the region.
After passing out from Tidke in 2005, the fleet-footed Niyaz did his graduation in Bachelors in Physical Education in 2011.
He started playing all over the country and was selected by SAI, Mumbai. Later he got a job with the South Central Railways on the basis of his unbeatable performance.
A few years back, he was also shortlisted for the Hockey India League (HIL) Auctions but as luck would have it, was not picked by any franchise.
“Bhaiyya, we need a Godfather. Only performing on the field is not enough,” he had said to this newspaper then.
“But I will continue to do what I have to... perform...that’s the only thing in my hand,” Niyaz had said.
Today, Niyaz is proud winner of five national gold medals. He is an integral part of Indian Railways (RSPB) team for more than six years and has won Hockey India Nationals on three successive seasons.
Niyaz was part of the history-making Railways team that won three straight Hockey India organised senior nationals at Pune (2015), Saifai, UP (2016) and Lucknow (2017). The team won bronze last year. They bettered their performance with another gold earlier this year at Gwalior, of which Niyaz was vice-captain.
While representing Mumbai in 2010, Niyaz had won gold at Bhopal nationals.
Niyaz was also selected by now defunct Indian Hockey Federation for Under-16 IHF Centre Talent Hunt held at Amritsar in 2005.
“It is a very proud moment for our family. Niyaz has been working hard for several years to see this day. We are very happy for him,” said his elder brother Imtiyaz who himself was an excellent forward before a knee injury cut short his career.
With medals dangling around his neck, Niyaz never lost hope of making it to national camp. He has rubbed shoulders with almost all the current India players during All India or Hockey India national championships, some of which are his Railways-mates.
Niyaz has partially fulfilled his dream by making it to the list of 60. His continued hard work for next couple of weeks will see whether he fulfils his long pending dream of donning India colours.

Kohli was the difference: Cummins

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Mar 6

AUSTRALIAN pace spearhead Pat Cummins might have taken four wickets for his side including that of Virat Kohli but the seamer felt that the innings of Indian captain made the difference in the second One-Day International on Tuesday night.
India posted 250, thanks to Virat Kohli’s responsible 116 and then the bowlers bowled out Australians in last over to win the match by eight runs at VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Tuesday night.
“I think he (Kohli) was the difference, for sure. We had a couple of really good partnerships, Marcus got 50-odd, couple of guys got really good starts but we didn’t have that one guy who got on with it. We knew the longer the game went on, the harder it was going to be to score. So for them to have someone like Virat in at he end, facing lots of balls, he was probably the difference between them getting low-200 or 250.”
“He batted beautifully and he didn’t give any chances. If someone bowls well he’s happy to wait on them and cash in later. But Kohli doesn’t miss out on too many bad balls. It was really good innings. That was the difference today.”
The seamer also praised Kohli’s chanceless innings.
“Really good innings, chanceless. He just played really good shots. I think for the most part we bowled quite well to him but especially the way he played some of the spin, which looked quite tough to play on that wicket, was certainly the difference,” admitted Cummins during a press conference.
Cummins took positives from the lost battle and said that would help them in future.
“It was another close one. Just like the first game. We just couldn’t close out. I thought there were lots of good things we did. To bowl them out obviously is a good thing to get 250 from the position they were win was a pretty good result for us. Then a couple of partnerships were really good. But just — it’s happened a couple of times, we’re just off the mark a little bit,” felt Cummins.
Marcus Stoinis batted well for his 52 runs and the Australians had a chance until he was there in the middle. Cummins praised his innings.
“Yeah when Marcus is there, you always feel like you are in for a chance. He’s been the closer for us the last couple of years, played some unbelievable knocks and assesses the game really well.  So with him out there I thought we were a massive chance. He played it beautifully, the way he just counted down the balls, chose the bowlers. To have 11 off the last over against probably their fifth bowler is a pretty good position from where we were. He set it up beautifully (but) just wasn’t his day that last over,” Cummins explained.
Cummins said he loves bowling with the new ball.
“I love bowling with the new ball. Especially in One-Day cricket on these sort of wickets, the ball deteriorates quite quickly. So I love getting the brand new ball and try to swing it around, get a bit of pace and bounce out of the wicket before it tends to go soft. I enjoyed that and am really happy with how I landed pretty much my whole 9 overs.”
Despite two losses Cummins believed that they had some excellent match winners in the side and others are learning how to cope in close games.
“I think we’ve got match-winners in the side. It’s maybe yeah — games like today, we are trying to learn off those guys who won it for the opposition and try to do it. It’s one of those things. When you’re one of the best sides in the world, you do finish those close ones.”
Cummins lauded the innings of their out of form captain Aaron Finch.
“He (Finch) batted really well with Usman at the start there. I think he has played a beautiful innings today. You see how effective he is – one he gets going, the field goes back. He’s one of those batsmen, I know bowling in domestic cricket against him, you do feel under pressure if he’s firing. It’s good to see him (back among runs). He’s such a class player. His record is great in ODI cricket so runs were always going to come around the corner. It was a good innings from him today, I’m sure he’ll keep cashing in,” said Cummins.

India aim to stretch the gulf

India take on Australia in second ODI today

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Mar 4

ON THE eve of the second One-Day International, Shikhar Dhawan had a long stint in the batting nets. He batted for more than two hours facing net bowlers and India spinners. At times, coach Ravi Shastri went to him and the two had lengthy discussions. Dhawan was not given any respite. He had to even face the throw downs from the support staff.
Last Saturday, the opener had spent maximum time in the Indian dressing room when the hosts chased down the Australian target to go one up in the five-match series at Hyderabad.
A duck in the series opener after failing to make much of an impact in the second T20 (scored 14 of 24) and that too two months ahead of the World Cup might have concerned the Delhi batsman in general and team management in particular. India are in search of a second opener for the World Cup and Dhawan’s 
lack of form would put more pressure on the side while picking the final 15.
The second ODI against Australia here at Jamtha Stadium would give another chance to the left-handed opener.
KL Rahul has done exceptionally well in the two T20 Internationals he has played with a half century in the first game and a 26-ball 47 in the second. He would be keen to grab the opportunity, if given, in the coming games.
India, with a morale-boosting win after the T20s loss, would be eager to stretch the gulf with another good show at the venue where they had a good record against the same side. Rohit Sharma, who had scored 125 last time when the two sides met, would love to do an encore.
Captain Virat Kohli is among runs and will continue to do the good work. But he will have to be cautious while negotiating Australian spinner Adam Zampa to whom he has given wicket twice in the series.
“Virat’s wicket is always big but there are also other big wickets,” Zampa said during the pre-match presser.
The little bit of clamour of a “finished Dhoni” has suddenly, and rightly, died down after the responsible innings from the Indian stumper. His match-winning undefeated stand with Kedar Jadhav has forced all the doubters to eat crow. It would be interesting to see how Australian seamers — Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile — and spinner Zampa attack the most matured player of the Indian side. Jadhav has done a world of good just head of World Cup selection. His morale would be high in the second game as well.
Indian bowling looks perfect. They are on the spot. Though Jasprit Bumrah was tad expensive in the first game, he would be a dangerous customer to deal with. Mohd Shami is peaking at the right time and would love to continue in the same vein. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and part-timer Jadhav bowled exceedingly well but how much assist from this wicket they could get would remains to be seen.
“The wicket here looks on the slower side. It will be a challenging game,” said Yadav ahead of the match.
As for the Australians, their biggest worry is the form of captain Aaron Finch on this tour. The opener has just eight runs from three innings.
“Finchy is worried about his form but the atmosphere in the dressing room is great,” Zampa tried to play down the issue.
Usman Khawaja, with a half-century in the first game, will look to building on the same confidence while Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb will have to shoulder the middle order.
Kohli has lost all the three tosses in this series and would pray the coin falls on his side. The wicket looks to assist the batsmen and it would be interesting to see how Dhawan bounces back.
Teams (FROM)
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant, Siddarth Kaul, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja.
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), D’Arcy Short, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Pat Cummins, Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nathan Lyon.

Run Machine

Kohli hits 40th ODI ton as India make 250

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Mar 5

IT WAS not a colossal innings. Neither was it a hurricane knock. What Virat Kohli produced was an innings filled with responsibility, stitched with calmness and driven by sheer control.
The Indian captain slammed a responsible century but other batsmen faltered as India posted 250 against Australia in the second One-Day International here at VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Tuesday.
It was an innings of substance from Kohli who slammed 116 from 120 deliveries and 10 boundaries. His fourth wicket partnership of 81 runs with rookie Vijay Shankar (46, 41b, 5x4, 1x6 ) gave India stability after the hosts were reeling at 75 for three.
Kohli, who entered the field as early as in the second over of India’s innings, frustratingly saw wickets fall from the other end but used all his mental toughness to carve out another best effort. The Kohli-Shankar partnership gave India some edge. More than that, it gave more confidence to Shankar who was playing only his sixth ODI.
India had a poor start with Rohit Sharma (0) and Shikhar Dhawan (21) failing with the bat.
Sharma, who had a century at the venue in 2017, got out for a duck as tried to slap-cut the ball towards third-man only to see Adam Zampa collecting an easy catch off Pat Cummins.
Dhawan started with a couple of boundaries but failed to convert it into big. He flicked one to fence off Nathan Coulter-Nile and then pulled one towards long on to open up his arms. With captain Kohli, the duo added 38 runs for the second wicket. But Dhawan’s innings was cut short by Glenn Maxwell who trapped him in front. Australia asked for DRS after umpire turned down their appeal. However, TV replays showed that the ball was hitting the leg stump and Australia retained their review.
Ambati Rayudu (18) and Kohli tried to resurrect the innings but boundaries dried up. There was a passage of time when not a single boundary was scored for 51 deliveries.
But in the 15th over Rayudu played a beautiful cover drive to hit his first four off Maxwell.  In the next over, a Zampa full toss was sent to mid-wicket fence as India started gaining the momentum.
Kohli started well but had to contain his shots after Dhawan’s fall. Occasionally he punished the loose deliveries but most on the times, he played for singles and twos. The Rayudu-Kohli partnership too did not last long. Rayudu was trapped by Nathan Lyon in his first over. After Rayudu’s departure, the Indian captain continued to absorb pressure and hit two successive boundaries off his nemesis Zampa. The first one was between fine-leg and square-leg and the second was through covers giving no chance to the boundary fielders. Shankar, on the other hand, started with a couple and a few singles. He then slapped a boundary in the next Coulter-Nile over breaching three off-side fielders as India reached 100 in the 21st over.
Shankar, who did not get chance in the first ODI, grabbed the opportunity and played some breathtaking shots which even Kohli acknowledged. He once glanced a ball to fine leg boundary and then in the 25th over hit a straight boundary off Coulter-Nile to pace up the innings.
Though Kohli did not entertain the crowd with his huge hits, he cleverly stitched his innings to inch closer to his 40th century.
The incredible Indian captain finally completed his century with a backward point boundary off Coulter-Nile. The innings was totally an unlike Kohli. It did not had even a single six. Most of his shots were carpet driven. The captain achieved personal milestones but wanted to take India miles ahead of the Australians.
But he lacked in partners. Two quick wickets put pressure back on India. Last match’s heroes Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni failed to produce heroics as they were sent back on successive deliveries by Zampa.
First, Jadhav gave a regulation catch to Finch at short cover and then Dhoni nudged one back to Usman Khawaja at first slip for a first ball duck.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli added a valuable 67 runs for the seventh wicket which helped India reach 249.
Cummins was the most successful bowler for Australia with four wickets which included the prized wicket of Indian captain. Zampa was the most expensive bowler and took two wickets while Coulter-Nile, Maxwell and Lyon took one each.

India 2.0

Kohli, Shankar give India thrilling win in second ODI

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Mar 5

PRESSURE brings the best out of this Indian team. Put under pressure in the last game, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav came out victors with their match-winning effort. Here at VCA Jamtha Stadium, Virat Kohli and Vijay Shankar first took the total to 250 and then the latter bowled over of his life taking two wickets in space of three deliveries that helped India beat Australia by eight runs.
In the edge of the seat encounter which went to the last over, Indian bowlers complemented captain Kohli’s responsible century (116; 120b, 10x4) with sharp bowling and thinking to take 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Australia needed 11 from the last over but Shankar took two wickets from his first and third balls to crush their dream.
Seamer Jasprit Bumrah once again proved why he was rated among the top bowlers in the world with figures of 10-0-29-2. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Jadhav shared five wickets amongst them which shut the door on the Australians.
After putting up 250, thanks to Kohli’s knock, bowlers strangulated Australia with tight and accurate bowling.
An impressive Bumrah bowled an excellent ninth over picking wickets on his second and fourth deliveries to strengthen the grip. This after Yadav had sent back dangerous-looking Alex Carey (22), after being hit for a four in the same over.
Indian bowlers delivered what their captain demanded. Despite defending a meagre 250 and with Australia starting off well with an 83 runs first wicket partnership between Aaron Finch (37) and Usman Khawaja (38), India never lost hope.
Boundaries flew thick and fast as the Aussie openers raced to 50 in just 9.2 overs. Shankar was hit for 13 runs from his first over with Finch picking up two boundaries and Khawaja one.
But introduction of spinners put brakes on the flow of runs. India managed to halt scoring with two quick wickets.
By 15th over, both openers were back in hut. Yadav trapped Finch in front and exactly after six deliveries, Jadhav bowled a beautiful delivery to force Khawaja give a simple catch to Kohli at short covers.
Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb added 39 runs for the third wicket but never looked comfortable against spinners. Dhoni showed agility behind the stumps taking a sharp catch off Yadav to see the back of Marsh. Dangerman Glenn Maxwell was kept quiet as he consumed 18 deliveries before being bowled by a Yadav delivery which kept low.
Handscomb waged a lone battle scoring 48 runs but was sent back by Jadeja who ran him out with a direct hit.
Marcus Stoinis kept Australian hopes floating with a gritty half century (52) but his departure in the last over sealed the deal.
Earlier, Kohli’s was not a colossal innings. Neither was it a hurricane knock. What he produced was an innings filled with responsibility, stitched with calmness and driven by control.
The Indian captain slammed a responsible ton but other batsmen faltered as managed 250.
It was an innings of substance from Kohli who slammed 116 from 120 deliveries and 10 boundaries, the last one being his 1000th four. His fourth wicket partnership of 81 runs with Shankar (46; 41b, 5x4, 1x6 ) gave India stability after the hosts were reeling at 75 for three.
Kohli, who entered the field as early as in the second over, saw wickets fall from the other end but used his mental toughness to carve out another best effort. The Kohli-Shankar partnership gave India the edge. More than that, it gave confidence to Shankar playing only his sixth ODI.
Apart from the 81-run stand, Kohli also had a very important 67 runs partnership with Jadeja (12) which was instrumental in India reaching 250 mark.
Kohli started well but had to curtail his shots. Occasionally, he punished loose deliveries but most of the times he played for singles and twos.
His innings was unlike Kohli. It did not have a single six. Most of his shots were carpet driven. The captain achieved personal milestones but wanted to take India miles ahead of the Australians. But he lacked in partners.
Two quick wickets put pressure back on India. Last match’s heroes Jadhav and Dhoni were sent back on successive deliveries by Zampa.
Shankar played perhaps the best match of his just-started career. Batting with Kohli, flourished. He did exactly that while bowling the last over of the match.

Shankar not losing sleep over WC selection

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Mar 6

CRICKET fans all over the country as well as pundits of the game might have selected Vijay Shankar in the final 15 for the upcoming 50-overs World Cup after his match-winning performance in the second ODI against Australia on Tuesday. However, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder is not losing any sleep over his selection. He is well aware that there is still plenty of cricket to be played before the first ball is bowled in the World Cup.
Shankar first produced an 81 runs partnership with captain Virat Kohli in which he slammed a quickfire 48 off 41 deliveries and then bowled the final over in the pressure situation to take two wickets in three balls to bowl out the Australians.
When asked what was going through his mind during that final over Shankar said, he was mentally prepared for it and was not under any pressure.
“I was just ready for the challenge because I knew I had to bowl that one over. And I was just telling after the 43rd-44th over, I’m going to bowl anytime. Maybe the last over and I should be ready to defend a total of 10 runs or 15 runs. So, I think basically I was mentally prepared for that,” said the match winning all-rounder. Shankar who was criticised for his slow batting during the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka late last year said that tournament has taught him a lot.
“To be honest the Nidahas Trophy has taught me too many things. I learnt to how to stay neutral after that. Be it high or low, it doesn’t matter. I need to stay calm and neutral all the time. I’ve told previously also that I never think about the selection or World Cup thing because it’s a long way off from now and we have too many matches to play after this. Every game is very important. I just look to giving my best and win a game for the team,” added Shankar.
Shankar, who was hit for 13 runs in his first over during the second ODI, said he is working hard on his bowling 
“Every session, I work very hard on all aspects of my game, especially bowling. I know I need to keep working on it. Sometimes, in the last two games that I played, I might not have bowled much, I might have gone for runs in the overs that I bowled. Last over was much-needed over for me and to defend that... this will give the team some confidence that I can do it. Only when I start doing it (bowling well), the team will start trusting me a lot more and I’ll start bowing a lot more. It’s all in my hands. I need to keep delivering wherever I get the ball,” Shankar explained.
Shankar said his is not goading over the two wickets he got in the last over and also played down his freak run out during the match.
“I am just pretty neutral. Just because I got the two wickets in the last over does not make me feel really high or happy. I am happy about that but I am not so high and all. I am trying to enjoy the moment and then go ahead with that.
“Of course, when you get run out like this, I won’t say unfortunate, that was struck and he (Kohli) hit the ball so hard and I didn’t have much time to get back in (to the crease) but then these things happen in cricket. As long as I bat well and as long as contribute to the team’s win, I will be happy.”
It was his seam partner Jasprit Bumrah who guided him after the 48th over was bowled. Bumrah gave only 1 run in that over which put more pressure on Australia.
“After the 48th over, Bumrah came up to me and said that the ball is reversing a bit and he told me that I need to hit the right length on this wicket, where I give myself  a chance to hit the stumps. When he told that, I was mentally clear and I thought I should do that.
“The only way to defend those runs is (by) picking wickets, if I can bowl straighter, (I’ll) give myself a chance to take wickets, I’ll have more chance to hit the stumps,” said Shankar.
The all rounder said it was difficult to bat on the wicket which was slow and had low bounce.
“It was little bit difficult in the morning, I felt it was coming a bit slow and the bounce was also not that much. It was bit low when compared to other normal wickets. It’s a challenge for us to adapt ourselves quickly to it (the pitch) and do it for the team, whatever the team needs at that point of time…. We had good communication in the middle, me and Virat had a good partnership and it was very important for me as well, so I enjoyed playing (in) that situation and did reasonably well,” he added.
This was not for the first time that Shankar had bowled the last over of the innings.
“I have bowled the last over for my club or for my team that I play for. But, this is something, everyone would love to take that challenge, because you are representing your country and it is an opportunity for you to win the match for your country, so as I said I was (prepared). 
“The preparation which I did after the 40th over helped me a bit to stay really calm. To be honest, I was not under any pressure, because to defend 10 runs, it is going to be a challenge but the good thing was they were (down) for eight and I had the opportunity to pick those two wickets and give myself a chance to win it for the team,” Shankar concluded.

Chikte to appeal against dope ban

The Yavatmal-born custodian has been handed a two-year doping ban by NADA, ADDP

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Oct 19

A SHATTERED, out-of-favour Indian hockey goalkeeper Akash Chikte, who has been handed a two-year doping ban by National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) and Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) for “unknowingly” taking prohibited substance earlier this year, has decided to fight against the decision.
Chikte was provisionally suspended by NADA from March 27 and the minimum sanction of two years was imposed by the ADDP after a final hearing on October 8.
However, the Pune-based custodian has decided to fight against the duration of the ban and has also roped in a Delhi lawyer to fight his case. Chikte has 21 days to appeal against the suspension.
Chikte tested positive for banned anabolic steroid (Norandrosterone) during an out-of-competition test during the senior team’s hockey camp in Bengaluru on February 27.
“I am really shattered. I never took any prohibited substance in my life. The medicine which I took after consulting doctor had prohibited substance which I never knew,” Chikte told ‘The Hitavada’ from Pune.
Recalling those days when he was mentally tired due to his father’s ill health, Chikte said his intention was never to take any performance enhancing drugs and he will never do so in his life.
Chikte’s father Anil, a welder by profession, was suffering from a brain decease called aneurysm which could lead to vasospasm (sudden constriction of a blood vessel, reducing its diameter and flow rate) and multiple infarct. He needed immediate surgery. Chikte, hailing from Lohara village in Yavatmal, was on duty at BEG Pune when he received the news of his father’s ailment. He immediately rushed to Nagpur to get his father treated.
“During that course of time I was mentally tired and I couldn’t think of anything else than my father’s health. During that time I had injured my left foot. There was unbearable pain and I took the medicine prescribed by the doctor. I never knew it had a banned substance,” said Chikte who has won gold medal for India in 2016 Asia Cup.
Chikte said he has decided to contest the decision of two-year ban, which, he hoped, could be reduced to one year.
“I will be challenging the one-year ban. I have roped in a Delhi-based lawyer who will fight my case against NADA. Looking my clean background and my future I hope the ban would be reduced to one year,” said Chikte, the 2016 Asian Men’s Champions Trophy gold medal winner.
“This was an important year for me as I missed all the major tournaments — Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Asian Champions Trophy and the forthcoming World Cup. I am shattered but I can’t do anything now. I am now working hard for 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said the lanky goalkeeper.
Chikte might get a leeway as NADA’s order mentioned that his case of dope violation was “unintentional” as he had taken medicine for an injury on his left foot.
Chikte admitted that he failed to inform the NADA officials about taking the medicine. “I was shuttling between Pune, Nagpur and Yavatmal due to my father’s illness. Hence it (mentioning NADA about my medication) skipped my mind,” Chikte claimed.
While it was proved that Chikte neither sought Therapeutic Use Exemption Certificate (TUE Certificate) nor did he mention about the injection taken on the Doping Control Form, he was able to establish that he had no knowledge of the injection prescribed by the physician, whom he consulted in Pune.
Thus, he was able to avoid the maximum sanction of four years although NADA still has provision to appeal against this decision.
According to the NADA order, Chikte’s urine sample report had Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) for 19-Norandrosterone (19 NA, metabolite of Nandrolone or its Precursor) at a concentration level greater than 15 ng/ml, Androgenic Anabolic Steroid, which is non-specified substance as per NADA/WADA prohibited list. Once Chikte’s ‘B’ sample also showed similar AAF finding, a hearing was conducted on August 13. The player appeared before the panel and he said he had consumed medicines prescribed by his doctor for treatment of his index finger on his left foot. 
(with inputs from PTI)

Gurav: Aiming ‘High’ in times of turbulence

By Paritosh Pramanik

A SPORTSPERSON’S life is full of sacrifices, turbulence, hardships and difficulties. There are inspiring stories which show the valour and determination of how medal-winning athletes are made after overcoming difficult hurdles. Same is the story of high jumper Abhay Gurav, who has passed through a lot of turbulence at the age of just 19 but got over it to start a golden journey in athletics.
Gurav, a native of Khondamali village, 15 kms from Nandurbar district, won his maiden gold medal on Tuesday at the state junior athletics championship under way 
at Nagpur.
Flashing his maiden gold medal, Gurav was all smiles at the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University’s Sports Complex. He left all his troubles behind for a while and was soaked in this moment of joy.
A leap of 2.03 metres in U-20 boys category fetched Gurav the gold that, in his own words, “is the best thing to happen in his life so far.”
Gurav has previously won gold in the school games’ athletics meet at Karad and silver at the Nashik state level meet. But this medal is more important as it has opened the gates to the Maharashtra athletics team.
At 5.5 ft in height, no one would believe that Gurav could perform this better in a sport like high jump. But the 19-year-old athlete has proved everybody wrong with his gold winning feat.
Gurav’s life is full of hardships and difficulties. He lost his mother when he was just one year old. He missed a state championship a couple of years back because his father had a bad fall and went into coma. Though he went for the state meet after admitting his father to the hospital, he could not participate because he reported at the venue 20 minutes late.
Living with his paternal aunt, Gurav had to spare time from his studies to work at a cloth shop or in cotton farms to make ends meet. Despite all these turbulences, a determined Gurav has made it a point to excel in sports and find a decent job in Army to take care of his family.
“After I lost my mother, I was sent to an orphanage in Wavdade village in Jalgaon district by my uncle. A few years later my aunt took me to her home,” said Gurav.
The difficult days did not stop there. With family’s financial condition not that sound, Gurav immediately understood the challenges of life. At a very tender age, he started working at a shop, which makes turbans in Nandurbar.
“I have to feed a family which has an ailing father, a brother and an aunt. I decided to work at the shop to earn livelihood. From Khondamali village I daily travel to Nandurbar in bus. My day starts at 5.30 am as I go to Nandurbar for practice. After practising till 10 am, I go to Yashwant Vidyalaya where I study (12th Commerce). After college I go to the shop and work for a few hours and then return home by 3.30-4 pm,” said Gurav about his daily routine.
Living at a remote place, Gurav does not have proper training facilities what athletes at metros usually get.
“I started with long jump but then shifted to high jump on my coach Mayur Thakre’s insistence. There are no facilities for high jump in my village. I used to erect makeshift bars and jump over them. There were sacks of cotton on which I used to fall as the surface was too hard. There is one mat in Nandurbar but officials do not give it to me. They say it is not possible to provide the mat and poles for only one player. Somehow I have to manage with whatever resources I have,” lamented Gurav.
As this is his Board exam year and he had to participate in the junior state meet, Gurav gave up his job at the cloth store. “It was not possible to get leave from the shop as I also had to come to Nagpur for this meet. Hence, I decided to leave the job. To make ends meet I go to sell ‘bel patta’ (Bel leaves) at Nandurbar thrice a week. In return, I get some rice, jowar etc. It’s like a barter system,” mentioned Gurav.
It’s the will power and determination to excel in high jump that brought Gurav this far. The members of Gurav tribe were also very kind to fund him. 
“My Gurav tribe members 
help me financially a lot. They provide us with a financial aid every month with which I somehow manage to feed my family. My tours are sponsored by Thakre sir. He looks after my needs on the field,” Gurav proudly said.
High jump is not an easy sport and needs a lot of technical training. Gurav could not get the best of training at his village. However, he has learnt the tricks of trade through YouTube.
“I watch high jump competitions on YouTube. How to run, to take a jump, how to time the jump and all technicalities…I learned watching on YouTube,” informed Gurav.
“If I get a job in Army I will be financially secured. Getting a job is my first priority. But for that, I will have to keep winning medals. Only then my performance would be noticed,” he said adding, “there is an Army recruitment in Jabalpur next month and I will start preparing for it from tomorrow.”
Gurav has timed his jump well to win his maiden gold at the junior meet. Only time will tell how high he can take his leap in life.

Girls boxing nationals has a ‘Bollywood star’

By Paritosh Pramanik

THE sub-junior girls boxing nationals being played at Nagpur has a ‘Bollywood star’ who is officiating the bouts since last four days.
Those who have watched Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha starrer ‘Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’ would remember how Sonakshi ‘Saiba’ knocks down her rival with a solid punch.
Priyadarshanadevi Padwal, who played the role of referee during that two-minute sequence, is in the city as the referee and judge of the competition.
Padwal, who hails from Mumbai, has first acted in the Tamil version of the movie Thuppakki.
“Thuppakki, a Tamil movie was the first when I played a two-minute sequence. The director, Murugadoss Arunasalam, then wanted the same characters in the Hindi version—Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. So I was again picked,” Padwal, a certified BFI official told ‘The Hitavada’ on the sidelines of the boxing championship.
Padwal, a former national level boxer herself, said it was a great learning experience while acting with Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi. “They are big actors. I enjoyed working with them, though my shot was only for a couple of minutes, I interacted with both the stars. They were very easy going and interacted freely,” said Padwal, a Physical Education Teacher with Gopal Sharma Memorial School in Powai, Mumbai.
Padwal hails from a family of boxers. Her father was a boxer with Services while her brothers Vikram Singh (international) and Shriram both are also in the same sport. “What I am today is because of my family, my mother Priyadevi and coach Krishna Das.”
Narrating her movie experience further Padwal said, “It’s totally different while acting and officiating in the actual bouts.”
“The real bouts don’t have retakes. You have retakes in movies but in real bouts you have to look after several aspects in a span of few minutes. This is totally different,” she signed off rushing to officiate another bout.

Tiding over odds, Kerala boxers ready to pack a punch

Kerala boxing team members pose with officials at the competition venue.

By Paritosh Pramanik

THEIR entire belongings were swept away, houses were submerged in flood waters. They had nothing left and had to spend nights at relief camps. But these Kerala boxers fought all odds unleashed by nature’s fury and somehow have managed to participate in the first sub-junior national boxing championship for girls.
The Under-14 girls championship is being organised by Nagpur Mahanagar Boxing Association under the aegis of Maharashtra Boxing Association and Boxing Federation of India.
Kerala was supposed to hold State championship to pick up a team for sub-junior nationals on August 20 and 21. However, that had to be postponed due to floods which affected the south Indian State, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season.
According to reports, over 400 people died and at least a million were evacuated.
As the rains stopped and water receded, Kerala Boxing Association sought special permission from Boxing Federation of India to take part in the competition. BFI granted them permission on special category and the team was selected (August 28) a few days before the start of the meet.
“It was a very bad situation in Kerala. Nobody was spared by this fury. Each and every house was under water. Our belongings were swept away and we were left with nothing,” said Kerala coach Biju A, whose own house was completely submerged.
“The boxers were shocked. P Milano MK from Kollauvathkal in Kolam, Annanya KC from Kannur, Arya A, Devi Krishna from Trivandrum and Nandana from Calicut, all boxers’ houses were under water. They had no roof over their head,” narrated Biju.
Said fourteen-year-old Milano, “We had to leave the place and go to a relief camp. Barring our certificates everything is lost. Our houses were under water. It was very, very scary. I had no time to practice.”
Anannya had a more horrifying tale to tell. “We were saved by God’s grace. A landslide took place just besides my house. We managed to leave our house in nick of time. It was really very dangerous. We spent several days at relief camp,” said the 13-year-old pugilist.
Same were the stories of others boxers. They all had faced hardships but still boarded the train to Nagpur to participate in the competition.
As expected, the boxers’ morale was down. “They all were shattered. Their mind was with their families and they were always thinking about their house. But ever since they landed here in Nagpur, their mind got diverted. Now they are not talking about their houses, but about their bouts,” said M Rajesh Kumar, coach of the team.
“We had to comfort as well as counsel them. It was a very hard task because all had gone through a very difficult phase. But as the bouts started and they started winning a few games, the smile were back on their faces,” said Keralite CB Raje, who is the Supervisor at the nationals.
“At present the condition is much better with rains stopped and water receded. But now there is more bigger challenge. Our entire house is filled with knee deep muck. It is a very hard task to clear the entire house,” added Raje, who is also the vice-president of Boxing Federation of India.
The determination of these girls is laudable. Braving challenges and leaving behind all problems, the boxers are ready to pack a punch inside the ring.

Manipuri boxers want to emulate Mary Kom

By Paritosh Pramanik

THEY work in farms, helping their families whenever they get a chance to visit home. But when inside the ring, these girls from Manipur throw powerful punches and want to emulate MC Mary Kom.
Over a dozen girl boxers from Manipur are in the city to participate in the first sub-junior national boxing championship organised by Mahanagar Boxing Association under the aegis of Maharashtra Boxing Association and Boxing Federation of India at Rani Kothi, Civil Lines.
The Under-14 pugilists from Manipur are fast in throwing their punches. They all want to don India colours and win medals for the country like their very own Mary Kom, the five-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist.
Y Venika Chanu, the 13-year-old from Mary Kom Boxing Academy, wants to be like the Indian boxing legend.
“I love boxing. I want to be like Mary Kom. I want to fight hard and win medals for my State in this nationals,” she said through translator KSH Sarat Singh, her team manager.
Venika joined Mary Kom Academy last year and has developed skills learning the nuances of the game. She might look a delicate north-eastern girl with her free-flowing hair, but inside the ring Venika is ruthless. “She is very strong. Her punches, if landed on the right place, would win her bouts in seconds,” said her coach Shyam Chandra, who trains these girls at National Sports Academy in Imphal.
Like Venika, E Thoi Thoi Chanu also belongs to Mary Kom Academy. The well-built 14-year-old is participating in the 52 cvkg category.
Thoi Thoi’s family depends on farming. Both her parents work on rice fields to earn their livelihood. “Whenever I am at my home I help my parents in farming. They work hard only to see me achieve success,” said Thoi Thoi, again through a translator.
Both the pugilists get appreciation and tips from Mary Kom herself whenever she is in Manipur.
“Whenever didi visits academy she spends a lot of time with us. She motivates us and tells us to keep concentrating on practice,” Venika and Thoi Thoi said.
Though Mary Kom’s success at international level can be attributed to the promotion of boxing in Manipur, it was Dingko Singh who sowed the seed in the north-eastern State.
“Dingko Singh won gold at Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 and that ignited a passion about boxing among the Manipuris.
“His medal winning achievement opened the boxing doors in our State,” said coach Shyam Chandra.
But the interest among the girls and their family members grew after Mary Kom and Sarita Devi’s success.
“Parents are now willingly sending their kids to learn and take up boxing as a career. It all started with the success of Sarita Devi and Mary Kom. These two boxers changed the perception of families towards their lasses taking boxing,” said KSH Sarat Singh, who is also the joint secretary of Manipur Amateur Boxing Association.
“Even Sarita Devi is a big influence in our State. Players from her academy are also doing well and are State champions. We have Ethoiba Chanu Wangjam and Th  Kunjarani Devi, both of 14 years participating in this meet. They are our medal hopes,” added Singh.
Manipur is expecting at least five medals from this sub-junior competition. 
“We are taking part from 34 to 60 weight categories and are expecting to return home with at least five gold medals,” Singh 
concluded.

VHA submits site plan, quotation for flood-lit astro turf

By Paritosh Pramanik

A FLOOD-LIT astro turf hockey stadium of international standard with a seating capacity of 10,000 spectators, two dressing rooms, also of international standards, VIP box and selectors seating arrangements, spacious parking facilities.....
This is not description of any hockey stadium in metros but the proposal Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) and District Sports Office (DSO) have sent to the Ministry of Sports (Sports India, New Delhi) through Deputy Director, Sports and Youth Services, Pune, Maharashtra, recently.
The way things are moving, it looks it won’t be too long before Nagpur gets its own turf at VHA ground. If all goes well and at the same pace, Vidarbha will very soon have its first hockey stadium in the heart of Nagpur at VHA ground, off Amravati Road, near Dhyanchand Square.
Around a month ago, VHA had submitted a copy of quotation and site plan for construction of international standard and FIH-approved synthetic hockey field to various government departments and had asked for 100 per cent grant under ‘Khelo India Infrastructure Scheme’.
This was after VHA had thrice submitted their proposal to 
the concerned department namely the District Sports Office, Nagpur and Ministry of Sports and Youth Services, Pune. On first two occasions, VHA’s files were ‘lost’.
After Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former MP Ajay Sancheti apart from MLC Girish Vyas persuaded and took keen interest in the matter, things have started falling in place and with pace.
‘The Hitavada’ has in its possession a copy of site plan and copy of quotation which has been submitted by VHA.
According to the site plan, VHA has demanded Rs 12 crore for construction of stadium 
including two spectators galleries of 5000 seating capacity each on either side of the pitch, 
VIP box, parking space for two wheelers and cars beneath the sitting tiers.
The cost of construction of playing turf has been quoted at Rs 4 crore for 6151.85 sq metres (Rs 6500 per se mtr).
The cost of installing and laying of complete water sprinkler system, drainage system, steel chain link fencing for turf, complete water management including bore wells, waste water treatment, recycling chain for water along with pump room, RCC drain etc, two motors of 40 HP, four electricity poles with required luminous potential to lit stadium has been quoted at Rs 3 crore.
Similarly, the construction of stadium with seating arrangement of around 10,000 spectators, dressing rooms with international standard, separate toilet blocks for men and women, VIP box and selectors seating arrangements has been quoted at Rs 5 crore.
The site plan and proposal are with the Sports Ministry, New Delhi and VHA is expecting that their long pending demand is accepted at the earliest.
The site plan and quotation was prepared by The Architectural and Design Studio.

HARENDRA: Living his passion

By Paritosh Pramanik

Don’t run with the ball. Pass…run…pass…run…pass...run’ read the board placed in hands of Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh. It was during the break of one of India’s matches during the Champions Trophy in Breda, The Netherlands last month. Harendra was giving instructions to his players during the half-time break how to move on the field.
The Indian team led by PR Sreejesh, despite losing the final on penalties to defending champions Australia, stunned all with their fast-paced game. India retained the silver medal but the result was far better than what it was in the previous edition.
After the Champions Trophy final loss to Australia, Harendra had said in an interview to PTI, “Everyone understood that Australia didn’t win the gold, we gave it to them. We had only ourselves to blame. I told them there was no point in crying now. We got the medal that we deserved. We had to do more and now we have two further chances this year (Asian Games and World Cup) of improving on the colour of medal we won. However, it was a teaching moment for us. The team knew they couldn’t leave things to shootouts next time.”
That is Harendra Singh for you -- A no-nonsense, straightforward and on-the-face Indian coach who believes in results. Harendra is passionate for Indian hockey and its progress.
The ‘Kabir Khan’ (Chak De fame) of Indian hockey would go to any extent to see his Indian hockey team stand on the podium and sing the National Anthem. Then, be it the junior team in World Cup or the women’s team in Asia Cup or his franchise in Hockey India League. He wants his wards to win topmost rewards on offer.
It has been after a decade or so that an Indian has been appointed as chief coach of the hockey team. In those last 10 years Harendra has been sort of ‘Man Friday’ for Indian hockey. He was assistant coach to Spain’s Vasudev Baskaran and later to Spaniard Jose Brasa. He also worked under the world famous Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans when he was in charge of Indian hockey.
Harendra always craved for India’s coach job but destiny, like his playing career, played cruel games with him every time. After Harendra guided junior Indian men’s hockey team to World Cup, he was expecting a ‘promotion’ to coach the senior side. Instead, he was handed the reins of senior women’s team, a totally new assignment with the girls’ squad.
However, Harendra, as always, accepted the challenge and transformed the also-rans into Asian Champions. That too, at a very short notice.
Hockey India has always turned to Harendra when in trouble. For them it was like ‘Dial Harendra’ to deliver. And the Bihar born Air India employee did not disappoint.
Harendra, who calls legendary coach Australian Ric Charlesworth as his guru, is passionate about coaching. Hockey is his first love. He puts hockey above his family. This, he proved when he refused to attend a funeral of his cousin while he was working with the Indian junior hockey team a few years ago. The team was about to leave for Johor Cup in Malaysia and Harendra decided to be with the boys instead of attending the funeral.
Not all good players could become good coaches. But Harendra, a former Indian defender, is an exception. He could not achieve the tag of an Olympian in his playing days. Despite being one of the best defenders in the country, Harendra was overlooked for the 1996 Olympics and at that moment he decided to create Olympians. Fortunately, he has done it with aplomb with around 25-30 players already being Olympians today.
His man-management skills are good and he knows the mentality of players. He also maintains a database of whatever he has learnt over the years. And above all, he knows how to get the best out of his players.
The Dronacharya award winner Harendra is obsessed with hockey and wants to teach players new things every time. Many would be surprised to know that Harendra is the only FIH certified Indian coach till date. He holds a degree from FIH in coaching. Harendra is so passionate about hockey and learning new tricks of the game that he had travelled to places on his own to watch matches, tournaments that did not even feature Indian team. During his FIH course, he had become common face in the stands with a notepad taking notes of every team and their style of play. Such is his devotion towards the game.
Harendra’s style of coaching is different from what former Indian coaches used to. They would not get tired of singing praises about the golden period of Indian hockey. Harendra wants to live in the present. He loves gadgets and technology. He was the first Indian coach to introduce GPS for players to track their speed and stamina.
According to reports, Harendra has also incorporated ‘Yo-Yo test’ for Indian hockey several years ago. He wants the team to be as fit as their opponents.
Harendra has an ability to bolster confidence of players with his pep talks. He motivates them and makes them feel like a champion.
It is not only players who need to keep learning all the time. Coaches, too, need to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest trends. Harendra is that kind of coach. He stays awake till 3 in the morning watching videos and clippings of foreign teams only to wake up a few hours later and teach those nuances to his wards.
The best thing that works for Harendra is his style of coaching. He becomes player while coaching the side. He puts himself in that position and take feel of the situation. While explaining, Harendra speaks the language the players understand. Indian hockey has players from different part of the country with different spoken languages. Hindi seems to be the best suited for all. Harendra interacts them in Hindi most of the time. The players understand easily and execute the plan well.
Being like an elder brother to players, Harendra is a hard taskmaster too. He is one of the strictest coaches in India. He never goes by the popularity and stature of a player. If a player has done any mistake, he gets dressing down in front of all. But at the same time, they are loved like a family member while dealing with any problem.
Not only coaching, Harendra also looks at the diet part of players and wants all to follow fitness regime with devotion. He wants his team to play with full energy, speed and stamina, they should show they are powerful too hence he also looks after their fitness and strength training.
“Fitness and strengths is one of the strong points of the Europeans. I don’t want any player to carry extra weight on their body that can be a hindrance to the team. We want a lean and strong body,” Harendra had told ‘The Field’ when he was the women’s team coach.
India have hired several foreign coaches but very few know that Harendra has an experience of coaching a European team, though a club side.
In 1995, when Harendra was playing for HC Lyon in French League, he was asked to coach the junior side. It was from there Harendra gave a serious thought to take up coaching.
Harendra has come a long way and has seen many ups and downs in his playing as well as coaching career. He has one more chance to prove himself with the senior men’s squad. His target is straight. Strike gold at Asian Games and book ticket to Tokyo 2020. That will also give Hockey India ample time to settle the team for Olympics.
The Asian Games and World Cup will be another examination for Harendra. His performance from touchlines would determine future of Indian hockey. He has coached the juniors to gold medal at World Cup, the women to gold at Asia Cup and now it’s time to replicate the same magic and take the seniors to top of the world.
Though it is only three months at the helm for Harendra, it won’t be difficult for him to guide the men’s side to the podium in the Asian Games and Odisha Hockey World Cup to be held at Bhubaneshwar in November and December.